A new phenomenon dubbed "ice piracy" is unfolding in the frigid wilderness of West Antarctica, where one glacier appears to be stealing ice from its neighbor. 



This unusual behavior - once believed to take hundreds or even thousands of years - has now been recorded happening in under two decades.



Scientists from the University of Leeds, working with international collaborators, have used high-resolution satellite data to reveal that a fast-moving glacier is redirecting ice flow away from its slower neighbor.



This surprising event is changing how scientists understand the dynamics of glaciers - and how such shifts may contribute to future sea-level rise. Their findings, now published in The Cryosphere, provide rare insight into these rapid changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fast-paced-shift-in-the-ice">Fast-paced shift in the ice</h2>



Between 2005 and 2022, researchers observed that seven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-streams-move-unpredictably-due-to-hidden-quakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice streams</a> in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler (PSK) region of West Antarctica sped up significantly. 



One glacier nearly doubled its speed - an 87% increase - at the point where it meets the ocean. 



Three other glaciers accelerated by 60% to 84%. By 2022, six of these streams were moving at more than 700 meters (0.4 miles) per year. That’s the equivalent of covering just over seven football fields in just one year.



This kind of acceleration, especially so close to the grounding line - the point where a glacier starts to float - is a warning sign. 



Grounding lines help track the stability of ice sheets. Changes in their position or speed suggest the system is out of balance and can influence how ice flows inland.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slowing-glaciers-leads-to-ice-piracy">Slowing glaciers leads to ice piracy</h2>



But not every glacier followed the same pattern. The Kohler West glacier actually slowed down by 10% during the same time period. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Glacier-velocity-change_2005-2022_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Glacier-velocity-change_2005-2022_ESA_1s.webp" alt="The image depicts the average change in velocity of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2005 to 2022. Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1969732"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The image depicts the average change in velocity of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2005 to 2022. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



This stood in stark contrast to nearby glaciers like Kohler East and Smith West, which sped up dramatically - by about 560 meters per year.



The slowdown puzzled scientists, until they looked at the ice flow patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kohler-west-and-kohler-east">Kohler West and Kohler East</h2>



“We think that the observed slowdown on Kohler West Glacier is due to the redirection of ice flow towards its neighbor - Kohler East," explained lead author Dr. Heather L. Selley from the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leeds</a>.



"This is due to the large change in Kohler West’s surface slope, likely caused by the vastly different thinning rates on its neighboring <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-glaciers-flow-faster-during-the-summer-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glaciers</a>.” 



She added that because Kohler East’s ice stream is flowing and thinning faster as it travels, it absorbs, or ‘steals’ ice from Kohler West. 



"This is effectively an act of ‘ice piracy’, where ice flow is redirected from one glacier to another, and the accelerating glacier is essentially ‘thieving’ ice from its slowing neighbor,” explained Selley.



“We didn’t know ice streams could ‘steal’ ice from each over such a short period, so this is a fascinating discovery. It’s unprecedented as we're seeing this from satellite data and it’s happening at a rate of under 18 years, whereas we’ve always thought it was this extremely long, slow process,” she added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-watching-ice-piracy-from-space">Watching ice piracy from space</h2>



To track this shift, the research team used satellite images and a technique that follows the movement of surface features like crevasses and rifts. 



They also incorporated data on ice thinning from the European Space Agency’s <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/CryoSat" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CryoSat mission</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_speed-direction_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_2015-2022_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_speed-direction_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_2015-2022_ESA_1s.webp" alt="The image depicts the average speed and direction of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2015 to 2022. The arrows show change in direction of flow. Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1969725"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The image depicts the average speed and direction of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2015 to 2022. The arrows show change in direction of flow. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



Data was sourced from satellites operated by ESA, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.



“This study provides an interesting demonstration of ice piracy, where flow into one glacier gradually switches to flow into another glacier, as the ocean melts the grounding zone and re-configures ice flow,” said Pierre Dutrieux, climate researcher at the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British Antarctic Survey</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



The research team looked into several factors that influence ice flow, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-are-rising-faster-than-expected-and-likely-to-accelerate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean temperatures</a>, circulation changes, air temperature, and snowfall. 



They discovered that ice redirection is affecting the amount of ice reaching the floating ice shelves fed by these glaciers.



Two major ice shelves - the Crosson and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-ice-shapes-never-seen-by-humans-dotson-ice-shelf-ran-submersible/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dotson</a> - are already among the fastest-changing outlets in West Antarctica. 



Crosson spans roughly 40 miles (60 kilometers), and Dotson stretches about 30 miles (48 kilometers). Both are thinning and retreating at their grounding lines.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_map_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_map_ESA_1s.webp" alt="The Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves are situated in West Antarctica. These huge ice shelves are fed by numerous glaciers flowing towards the Amundsen Sea. Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1969723"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves are situated in West Antarctica. These huge ice shelves are fed by numerous glaciers flowing towards the Amundsen Sea. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



“The changes in flow direction have substantially altered the ice mass flux into Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves, likely playing an important role in maintaining Dotson and accelerating the deterioration of Crosson," explained Professor Anna Hogg, co-author and Professor of Earth Observation at the University of Leeds.



“This suggests that ice flow redirection is an important new process in contemporary <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-sheet-fracture-sets-a-speed-record-in-antarctica/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice sheet dynamics</a>, which is required to understand present-day structural change in glaciers and the future evolution of these systems.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ice-piracy-rising-seas-global-impacts">Ice piracy, rising seas, global impacts</h2>



The stakes are high. Sea levels are already rising due to climate change, and over 410 million people could be affected by coastal flooding by the year 2100. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-sea-levels-spiked-dramatically-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global sea levels</a> have increased by more than 10 centimeters over the past decade.



“This new study highlights the unique ability of satellites to provide both the temporal and spatial coverage required to assess change in the polar regions,” remarked Dr. Martin Wearing, ESA Digital Twin Earth Scientist and Polar Science Cluster Coordinator.



Using data from Copernicus Sentinel-1 and ESA's Earth Explorer CryoSat, the team has revealed the complex evolution of ice flow in part of West Antarctica over the past few decades. 



Understanding these changing dynamics and what drives them is crucial for improved projections of future ice-sheet change and contributions to sea-level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-it-all-mean">What does it all mean?</h2>



To sum it all up, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-past-present-and-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Antarctic ice sheet</a> - once thought to be sluggish and stable over millennia - is changing much faster than we realized, and in unexpected ways. 



This discovery of "ice piracy" shows that glaciers can dynamically interact, competing for ice and rerouting flow like rivers shifting course, which completely reshapes how we model future sea-level rise.



If one glacier can weaken another by stealing its ice, entire ice systems may destabilize quicker than predicted, feeding more ice into the ocean and raising sea levels. 



In plain terms: Antarctica isn’t just melting - it’s reorganizing itself in ways that could have big consequences for coastal cities around the world.



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The study brought together experts from the University of Leeds, the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British Antarctic Survey</a>, and the UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (<a href="https://cpom.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CPOM</a>), which is led from <a href="https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northumbria University</a>. 



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/1725/2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Cryosphere</a>.



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Ice piracy: Antarctic glacier discovered "stealing" ice from a neighbor, and that's not good for sea level rise

A new phenomenon dubbed "ice piracy" is unfolding in the frigid wilderness of West Antarctica, where one glacier appears to be stealing ice from its neighbor. This unusual behavior - once believed to take hundreds or even thousands of years - has now been recorded happening in under two decades. Scientists from the University of Leeds, working with international collaborators, have used high-resolution satellite data to reveal that a fast-moving glacier is redirecting ice flow away from its slower neighbor. This surprising event is changing how scientists...

Around six hundred million years ago, our planet almost lost the invisible shield that keeps its surface hospitable. Earth's magnetic field, generated by whirling molten iron deep below our feet, faded until it was so weak it was barely detectable.



At the same moment, oxygen flooded the oceans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nitrogen-was-plentiful-for-early-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atmosphere</a>, and curious soft-bodied creatures began sliding across the seafloor. The coincidence has fascinated geologists and biologists for decades.



Fresh measurements from ancient crystals now reveal just how close Earth came to a magnetic stall. They also strengthen the suspicion that a waning field set the stage for the rise of complex life. 



The new data trace a dramatic drop in magnetic intensity and help explain why the field later rebounded, saving Earth from becoming a dry, radiation-blasted rock like Mars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-ancient-magnetic-field">Earth's ancient magnetic field</h2>



To read the planet’s magnetic diary, researchers collected grains of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-mantle-may-contain-a-wealth-of-green-metals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pyroxenite and gabbro</a> from South Africa, Brazil, and Canada.



Each mineral contains microscopic iron needles that froze in alignment with the ambient field when the rocks cooled. 



By reheating single crystals in a carefully shielded furnace, the team coaxed out tiny magnetic signals that record field strength at the time of eruption.



After analyzing hundreds of crystals, <a href="https://www.rochester.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Rochester</a> geophysicist John Tarduno and colleagues saw a clear pattern. 



“In general, the field is protective. If we had not had a field early in Earth history, water would have been stripped from the planet by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/silent-storms-experts-identify-the-mysterious-source-of-solar-wind/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar wind</a> (a stream of energized particles flowing from the Sun toward Earth),” Tarduno explained.



“But in the Ediacaran, we had a fascinating period in the development of the deep Earth when processes creating the magnetic field … had become so inefficient after billions of years that the field almost completely collapsed.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-very-weak-magnetic-field">Very weak magnetic field</h2>



Crystals dated to 591 million years ago indicate a magnetic field about 30 times weaker than today - the most feeble long-term value ever measured. 



Follow-up samples show the enfeebled state persisted for at least 26 million years.



Before and after that window, rocks more than 2 billion years old and younger than 565 million years record a field as sturdy as the modern one, revealing just how exceptional the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ecosystem-behavior-earth-first-sea-creatures-stirring-water-drove-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ediacaran lull</a> was.



During the low-field stretch, solar wind could punch far deeper into the atmosphere. Charged particles stripped away lightweight hydrogen, a process that left relatively heavy oxygen behind. 



The timing lines up with multiple geochemical markers that show a sharp increase in oxygen levels, supporting the idea that the weakened shield helped push Earth past a threshold needed for the development of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-capture-a-turning-point-in-the-evolution-of-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">large, mobile animals</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thinner-armor-richer-air">Thinner armor, richer air</h2>



The atmospheric link also finds support from geobiologist Shuhai Xiao of <a href="https://www.vt.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Virginia Tech</a>. 



“The <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/earths-magnetic-field-origin-structure-and-impact-on-humanity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnetosphere shields the Earth</a> from solar wind, thus holding the atmosphere to the Earth. Thus, a weaker magnetosphere means that lighter gases such as hydrogen would be lost from the Earth’s atmosphere,” Xiao explained to CNN.



As hydrogen escaped, oxygen concentrations rose, allowing metabolism-hungry organisms to branch out.



Tarduno agrees that other processes - such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-oxygen-discovery-deep-ocean-no-photosynthesis-baffles-scientists/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photosynthetic microbes</a> - were certainly at work.



“We do not challenge that one or more of these processes were happening concurrently. But the weak field may have allowed oxygenation to cross a threshold, aiding animal radiation (evolution),” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-magnetic-field-and-earth-s-core">Magnetic field and Earth's core</h2>



Rock records also solve a puzzle about when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-inner-core-is-not-solid-it-is-shape-shifting-time-for-textbooks-to-be-rewritten/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth’s inner core</a> began to form. Once field strength hit its nadir, it bounced back quickly.



“The observations appear to support the claim that the inner core first nucleated soon after this time, pushing the geodynamo (the mechanism that creates the magnetic field) from a weak, unstable state into a strong, stable dipolar field,” noted Peter Driscoll of the <a href="https://carnegiescience.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carnegie Institution for Science</a>. 



A solid seed at the center released extra heat, turbocharging convection in the outer core and restoring the magnetic screen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strange-seafloor-pioneers">Strange seafloor pioneers</h2>



While the field flickered, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-first-animals-were-very-picky-about-where-they-lived/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ediacaran seas</a> hosted life forms unlike anything alive today.



Disk-shaped <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rewrite-the-textbooks-life-on-earth-did-not-arise-due-to-increased-oxygen-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dickinsonia</a> spread as wide as 4.6 feet (1.4 meters) across the mud; quilted fronds waved gently in the currents; and slug-like Kimberella scraped microbial mats for food.



These pioneers vanished before the Cambrian period began, around 539 million years ago, but their brief reign proved that multicellular bodies could flourish once oxygen climbed to breathable levels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-if-it-happens-again">What if it happens again?</h2>



Not every expert is convinced the magnetic dip directly influenced the course of evolution.



“It is hard for me to evaluate the veracity of this claim because the influence that planetary magnetic fields might have on climate is not very well understood,” Driscoll cautioned. 



Untangling all the variables - solar activity, mantle chemistry, biological innovation - will take years of careful detective work.



For now, the crystal record points to a simple narrative: Earth’s shield weakened, gases escaped, oxygen levels increased, and life took a bold new turn.



By tracing that chain of events, scientists gain insight into how planets and biospheres interact, a lesson that will guide the search for living worlds far beyond our own.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01360-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications, Earth and Environment</a>.



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Complex life emerged on Earth 591 million years ago, now scientists think they figured out how it happened

Around six hundred million years ago, our planet almost lost...

Yellowstone’s seething terraces and steaming pools draw visitors for their color and heat, but to microbiologists they offer something else: a peek at the sort of place where the earliest stirrings of life may have taken hold in the form of giant viruses.



One acidic creek in the park, forever gurgling around 112 °F, has now revealed an unexpected cast of microbial giants that could have nudged evolution along.



Giant viruses found in Yellowstone's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hot-springs-may-have-played-a-key-role-in-the-emergence-of-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hot springs</a> - organisms so large they sometimes escape standard filters - have been turning up in many odd corners of the planet. Yet their role in shaping early ecosystems has remained hazy. 



A fresh look at a green algal mat in Yellowstone suggests these outsized invaders were not latecomers but long-standing residents whose presence dates back a billion-plus years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yellowstone-s-living-time-capsules">Yellowstone’s living time capsules</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shanay-timpishka-river-amazon-rainforest-is-so-hot-that-it-literally-boils-destroying-nearby-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hot springs</a> change, dry up and reappear over geological time, but each one preserves chemical and physical traits once common on early Earth. 



The creek known as Lemonade runs through a narrow channel lined with bright-green filaments of red algae, or Rhodophyta. In water that hits pH 2, those algae thrive alongside sulfur-loving microbes that shrug off toxins such as arsenic.



After skimming DNA from the mat, nearby soil and the spaces between stones, researchers filtered out familiar bacterial, archaeal and algal sequences. 



Roughly 3,700 potential viral fragments remained, and almost two-thirds belonged to the giant class. Computer sleuthing pieced together most of the genomes of about 25 distinct viruses. 



“The connections between the viruses and [their hosts] are ancient,” <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rutgers University</a> genome scientist Debashish Bhattacharya explains, pointing to proteins whose tightly packed shapes suit a habitat that seldom cools below 112 °F.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giant-viruses-and-yellowstone-hot-springs">Giant viruses and Yellowstone hot springs</h2>



Giant-virus DNA carries the same three-letter code preferences as other creek dwellers, signaling a long residence rather than a recent arrival from cooler pools. 



When the team built a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-microbial-ancestors-developed-virus-defenses-one-billion-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">viral family tree</a>, the Lemonade Creek line split near the very base, implying the partnership with red algae may stretch back 1.5 billion years. 



“Understanding ancient virus evolution may be key to our understanding of [life’s] early developments,” notes Simon Roux, a microbiologist at the Department of Energy’s <a href="https://jgi.doe.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joint Genome Institute</a> who was not involved in the work.



Many hot-spring inhabitants borrow genes to cope with heat and toxins. Exactly how a complex eukaryote such as algae grabs DNA from simple bacteria has puzzled biochemists. 



Andreas Weber, a biochemist at <a href="https://www.hhu.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf</a>, calls hot springs “time capsules that provide a window into early eukaryotic life.” 



He suspects giant viruses act as middlemen, grabbing genes from bacteria or archaea, then handing them to the algae they infect. 



In that shuttle role, “the viruses likely play an important role in the long-term stability of the hot spring communities,” he adds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-separate-worlds-inches-apart">Separate worlds inches apart</h2>



Sampling revealed three viral neighborhoods: one on the algal mat, one in adjacent soil and one wedged between rocks. 



“I would have thought that there would be more exchange between neighboring sites that are sometimes only a few centimeters apart,” Weber admits. 



Their isolation “points out how little we really know about the diversity and role of viruses in microbial communities,” observes Mark Young, an environmental virologist emeritus at <a href="https://www.montana.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Montana State University</a> who was not involved with the work.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-yellowstone-s-giant-viruses-matter">Why Yellowstone's giant viruses matter</h2>



Giant viruses are not the only curiosities to surface in the park. Scientists George Rice and Mark Young spotted another virus drifting among heat-loving archaea in the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/places/000/midway-geyser-basin-trailhead.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Midway Geyser Basin</a>. 



Archaea are thermophiles that flourish in pools between 158 °F and 197 °F and at pH values as low as 1; they have yielded just 36 viruses out of more than 5,000 known. 



"Anywhere there's life, we expect viruses," Young says, stressing how protected reserves aid such finds. 



"This is a stellar example of why we need places that are protected for scientists to come in and look for new discoveries," park geologist Hank Heasler agrees.



Rice’s team reported that the Yellowstone virus’s protein shell resembles coats from viruses that infect bacteria and animals. 



"Thermophiles are deeply rooted in the tree of life," Young notes, hinting that the virus predates the split between bacteria, archaea and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-oldest-organisms-ever-discovered-show-dazzling-diversity-and-complexity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eukaryotes</a> roughly 3.5 billion years ago. Genetic work backs the idea. 



"The genes look different [from those of other viruses] so they probably do different things," Rice says.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viruses-and-the-search-for-alien-life">Viruses and the search for alien life</h2>



Viruses shuttle genes with abandon. "They're not just a passenger," Young emphasizes. "They are the major source of biological material on this planet. They have a huge role in moving genes around." 



That talent intrigues astrobiologists: "If we're going to go to non-Earth-based bodies to look for life, this discovery gives <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a> an approach for looking for life in hot-temperature environments, which we know to exist off of Earth," Young points out. 



Enzymes that stay stable in boiling water could also feed medical diagnostics or industrial reactions that now falter under heat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-learned-from-yellowstone-s-giant-viruses">Lessons learned from Yellowstone's giant viruses</h2>



The story flowing from a modest creek in Yellowstone widens our picture of life’s early days. 



Giant viruses, once dismissed as curiosities, appear to have stood shoulder to shoulder with the first eukaryotes, swapping genes, recycling nutrients and carving out niches even when resources were scarce. 



On a planet where every drop of hot water seems to shelter a unique community, each discovery reminds us how much more waits beneath the steam.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-05931-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Biology</a>.



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Giant viruses found in Yellowstone's hot springs may be near the root of all life on Earth

Yellowstone’s seething terraces and steaming pools draw visitors for their...

Sudden shifts in South Africa’s ground level are causing surprise. Observers point out that water-stressed regions in the country have been moving upward more quickly than people thought possible.



These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/south-africa-is-literally-rising-out-of-the-ocean-scientists-think-they-know-why/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">developments</a> were initially linked to deep geologic changes. Yet emerging insights suggest that water loss may be the bigger factor behind the rise. This work comes from the efforts of scientist Johannes Seiler from the <a href="https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/university/university" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bonn</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-rise-in-land-linked-to-more-than-geology">New rise in land linked to more than geology</h2>



Experts have long watched this part of the continent. <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021JB022355" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Some</a> looked deep below the surface for answers, proposing that magma-related processes or mantle flow might be at play.



Others turned their attention to climate patterns. The focus shifted toward rainfall shortages and the possible effects of water movements on Earth’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/activity-in-earths-mantle-created-a-land-bridge-that-animals-traversed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">crust</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-loss-is-key-reason-for-ground-uplift">Water loss is key reason for ground uplift</h2>



A geodesist is someone who specializes in measuring Earth’s size, shape, and gravitational field. One such researcher pointed to lacking rainfall and lower moisture in the ground as contributors to changing land heights.



“This data showed an average rise of 6 millimeters between 2012 and 2020. We believe that it is also possible that a loss of groundwater and surface water is responsible for the land uplift,” explained <a href="https://www.igg.uni-bonn.de/apmg/de/team/staff/karegar" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Makan Karegar</a>, a geodesist from the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation, <a href="https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bonn</a>.



He and his team tracked local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/restored-grasslands-bring-more-peace-to-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ground</a> motion with satellite tools, then compared it with water usage data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drying-soils-and-water-loss-lead-to-land-rise">Drying soils and water loss lead to land rise</h2>



Reduced water reserves can make soil compact less. When large amounts of groundwater - water stored beneath the surface - drop, Earth’s crust can flex in response.



Communities in water-stressed areas have noticed shifts in wells and local water tables. Such hints of dryness are not always obvious, but their link to the uplifting land has gained momentum.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connections-to-changing-weather">Connections to changing weather</h2>



South Africa has experienced periods of diminished rainfall for decades. Researchers studying these trends recognize a blend of natural cycles and rising challenges linked to climate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/40-percent-of-earths-land-has-became-permanently-drier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shifts</a>.



Some scientists highlight the need to handle water sources more carefully. They emphasize that measuring how much water remains in the ground can reveal how quickly land may change height over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-land-rise-may-quietly-impact-homes">Land rise may quietly impact homes</h2>



Any drop in water availability carries concerns. Farms, factories, and city dwellers all rely on stable supplies, and there is tension when wells sink too low.



Land motion might not be large enough to see. But it could still affect pipelines, infrastructure, and local planning if allowed to continue without proper monitoring.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-south-africa-s-land-rise-signals-deeper-water-crisis">South Africa's land rise signals deeper water crisis</h2>



This isn’t just about dry soil or thirsty cities. The GPS data reveal that environmental stress is changing the ground beneath people’s feet in real time.



By connecting subtle land movements to water loss, scientists are uncovering a new way to track the health of an entire ecosystem. It offers a broader lens than rainfall totals or river levels alone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-land-warns-of-future-water-demand">Rising land warns of future water demand</h2>



Crowded regions may face rising demand for water in coming years. Observers say that fresh strategies are needed to guard water resources.



Policymakers and environmental agencies often rely on rainfall forecasts and dam levels to set policies. Tracking <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017JB014555" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">crustal movements</a> may soon join that toolkit, offering an extra line of defense.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-land-rises-help-track-growing-water-problems">Small land rises help track growing water problems</h2>



Communities can adapt if they know when water shortages loom. Although it sounds daunting, small changes in land height can help reveal hidden patterns of water decline.



Scientists stress the importance of forward-thinking methods. Reliable station networks and continuous monitoring will be key.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-awareness-and-action">Awareness and action</h2>



Some provinces show steeper changes than others. In these spots, dryness seems more acute, and the risk of water scarcity can intensify.



Decision-makers, farmers, and households might all need to pitch in. Cutting daily consumption and safeguarding wells are among common suggestions, though each community varies in approach.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moving-land-now-seen-as-early-sign-of-water-shortage">Moving land now seen as early sign of water shortage</h2>



In the past, dryness often went unnoticed until taps began to run dry. Now, land movement offers a silent alarm, reminding regions that every drop matters.



Precision data can confirm whether water shortages are creeping in. It also helps watchers target solutions before matters spiral.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirmed-link-between-land-rise-and-water-depletion">Confirmed link between land rise and water depletion</h2>



Findings reveal a strong link between dryness and terrain changes. While the entire story may not rest on water, ignoring that angle could be costly.



Better insight into water flows promises to fill a knowledge gap. Rising ground might be the nudge we need to handle water with more caution.



The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JB030350" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth</a>.



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Climate change is lifting South Africa out of the ocean

Sudden shifts in South Africa’s ground level are causing surprise....

For years, scientists have known that North America experienced extended droughts thousands of years ago. These events caused massive forest die-offs and reshaped entire ecosystems. But until now, the exact reason behind the ancient dry spells remained unclear.



An international research team has found a strong link between megadroughts and a subtle but powerful force - changes in Earth’s orbit. 



The study was focused on a warm period in Earth's history called the Holocene, which began after the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disastrous-climate-changes-of-the-last-ice-age-could-happen-again/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">last ice age</a> and continues today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-ancient-megadroughts">Studying ancient megadroughts</h2>



The researchers used fossilized pollen grains, collected from sites across North America, to track how moisture levels changed over the past 11,000 years. 



A machine-learning algorithm helped them reconstruct regional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-age-climate-shifts-changed-early-human-migration-patterns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate shifts</a> during this time.



What the team discovered was striking. Moisture conditions in many areas were lower than modern levels for thousands of years, and the timing of the droughts varied depending on location.



Study lead author J. Sakari Salonen is an Academy of Finland research fellow in the Department of Geosciences and Geography at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Helsinki</a>.



“The dry conditions first kick off in the northeastern U.S. and the nearby regions of Canada, which is today one of the wetter regions of North America. Here, we see peak drought already at 11,000 years ago,” explained Salonen.



“In the mid-continent, where we have modern prairie region, we see most severe drought at about 7,000 years ago, so thousands of years later than at the Atlantic coast."



By this time, said Salonen, the Atlantic coast was already getting wetter, and it’s like the entire climate anomaly causing the thousands-of-years long drought started migrating westward.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-linking-megadroughts-with-earth-s-orbit">Linking megadroughts with Earth's orbit</h2>



Jack Williams&nbsp;from the University of Wisconsin-Madison noted that there’s a common misperception that water is always available, particularly in the eastern United States.



"However, studies of the past show that these long droughts can trigger major shifts in fire regime and tree die-offs, even in the east. So it’s critical to understand the spatial patterns of these droughts and their causes,” said&nbsp;Williams. 



To test the cause of these ancient droughts, the scientists ran climate simulations using high-resolution models. These simulations matched the pollen-based reconstructions and helped explain what triggered the widespread dryness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-simulations-revealed">What the simulations revealed</h2>



According to the researchers, two main factors were at play. In the early <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/holocene-vs-anthropocene-debate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Holocene</a>, a high-pressure system over the remnants of the ice sheet pushed moisture away from large parts of the continent. This created dry conditions, especially in the east.



As the ice sheet melted, another factor came into play - rising temperatures. Warmer summers dried out the soil faster than rainfall could replenish it.



Frederik Schenk is an&nbsp;atmospheric physicist at Stockholm University and visiting scientist at the University of Helsinki.



“The simulations show that in the early Holocene, the high-pressure system at the ice sheet, remaining in the northern part of the continent, steered moisture transport, which explains the geographic shift in dry conditions,” said Schenk.



"Overall, a warmer climate will be wetter. But this doesn’t apply to all regions. As seen in our results, there are clear regional limits of how much rain can be delivered to balance the warming-driven evaporation. For the strong summer warming in the past, it just didn’t add up, giving way to millennia-long droughts."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-greenhouse-gases-and-modern-droughts">Greenhouse gases and modern droughts</h2>



The researchers point out that while the causes of past and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/latest-climate-models-show-more-intense-droughts-ahead/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">future droughts</a> differ, the consequences may look familiar.



Back then, it was a gradual shift in Earth’s orbit that warmed summers and triggered megadroughts. Today, rapid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-reach-another-all-time-high/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenhouse gas emissions</a> are driving a much faster version of the same trend.



“If the climate projections for this century hold true, we’re looking at a speed-run repeat of what happened, for natural causes, ten thousand years ago,” said Salonen.



Despite projected increases in precipitation, much of North America is expected to dry out by the end of the century. That’s because warmer air causes more evaporation, which can lead to dry soils even when rainfall increases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-orbit-and-megadroughts">Earth’s orbit and megadroughts</h2>



Earth’s orbit constantly changes over long timescales. These changes, called <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-lush-green-sahara-desert-helped-early-humans-migrate-out-of-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milankovic cycles</a>, affect the planet’s tilt and distance from the Sun. They occur over tens of thousands of years and have shaped Earth’s climate history.



About 20,000 years ago, Earth’s orbit limited sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, helping massive ice sheets form. By 10,000 years ago, those ice sheets had mostly melted, ushering in the Holocene - a warm interglacial period. Between 10,000 and 4,000 years ago, Earth was warmer than it is today.



This recent study shows that the same orbital conditions that warmed Earth also set the stage for centuries-long droughts in North America. And while Earth has been slowly cooling since then, the sharp warming caused by human activity in the last century has thrown us off the natural cycle.



The scientists warn that understanding what happened in the past could be crucial for preparing for what comes next. 



Their work offers a stark reminder: even slow, natural changes in Earth’s orbit were enough to trigger enormous shifts in climate. With much faster changes underway, the effects could be just as severe - only now, they’re happening in real time.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58685-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Changes in Earth's orbit triggered ancient climate change and megadroughts

For years, scientists have known that North America experienced extended...

Seafood,On,Ice,At,The,Fish,Market

Alternative seafood is emerging as a vital solution in the fight to protect marine ecosystems. As pressure from overfishing, pollution, and climate change intensifies, scientists and policymakers are exploring new ways to reduce strain on the ocean. 



While many marine mysteries remain, one issue is clear - traditional fishing practices are pushing the ocean toward ecological collapse.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-global-impact-of-overfishing">The global impact of overfishing</h2>



Researchers point out that nearly 90% of marine fisheries today are either fully exploited or already overfished. On top of that, pollution and habitat degradation are erasing biodiversity across oceans, rivers, and coasts. 



<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/global-industrial-fishing-footprint-spd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A 2018 study</a> showed that commercial fishing operations now cover more than 55% of the ocean surface - four times more than the land used for agriculture.



This crisis impacts people as well as marine life. Around 3 billion rely on the ocean for food and jobs. With the population expected to hit 10 billion by 2050, seafood demand is rising twice as fast.



But wild fisheries can only do so much. Even under perfect management, there’s a ceiling on how many fish can be caught each year. 



The researchers note that reducing the burden of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overfishing-and-habitat-degradation-have-devastated-marine-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">overfishing</a> through better fishery management is possible, but it requires setting limits on how much can be caught, where and when, and with which methods. There’s another way forward - one that doesn’t get as much attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alternative-seafood-as-a-sustainable-solution">Alternative seafood as a sustainable solution</h2>



Alternative seafood - like plant-based fish or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sushi-of-the-future-the-first-ever-lab-grown-eel-is-a-success/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lab-grown</a> (cultivated) tuna - is emerging as a powerful tool to meet demand without draining the ocean. 



These products can help shift consumer choices away from wild-caught fish and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmed-seafood-supply-is-at-risk-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">farmed seafood</a> that contribute to environmental stress.



As the researchers explain, plant-based and cultivated fish hold enormous potential for feeding a growing population the fish they love while easing pressure on the conventional fishing industry and, in turn, reducing harm to our oceans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reshaping-the-seafood-industry">Reshaping the seafood industry</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fishing-communities-cooperate-to-survive-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fishing</a> isn’t just affected by climate change - it’s also a contributor. Fuel-intensive vessels and aquaculture feed production release greenhouse gases.



But climate change is striking back. Rising ocean temperatures are pushing fish populations toward the poles, leaving tropical waters increasingly empty. Some regions could see up to a 40% drop in seafood catch potential by 2050.



To make matters worse, warming waters are also making seafood riskier. Infections from Vibrio bacteria, which can be deadly, are increasing worldwide. Still, there’s hope. 



Research shows that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2705-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant-based and cultivated seafood</a> - especially when produced using renewable energy - could offer a more climate-resilient alternative.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diversifying-the-seafood-supply">Diversifying the seafood supply </h2>



A recent whitepaper titled <a href="https://gfi.org/resource/climate-benefits-of-accelerating-global-production-of-alternative-seafood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Building climate policy momentum for alternative seafood</a> highlights the potential environmental benefits of diversifying the seafood supply.



“Renewable energy is critical to realizing the climate benefits of cultivated meat and seafood. Life-cycle assessments project that emissions from cultivated meat produced with renewable energy will be in the lower range of aquaculture emissions and less than the emissions of most wild-capture," noted the researchers.



"Further, cultivated seafood is expected to require even less energy than cultivated red meat and poultry, in large part because seafood can be cultivated at lower temperatures than terrestrial meats."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seafood-and-biodiversity-loss">Seafood and biodiversity loss</h2>



The ocean does more than provide seafood - it helps regulate the climate, generates oxygen, and supports global food systems. 



But marine biodiversity is rapidly declining. A 2019 report found that human activity has significantly altered two-thirds of marine areas, up from 40% just a decade earlier.



Pollution, overfishing, climate change, and ocean acidification are driving this loss, leading to ecosystem collapse, food insecurity, and rising disease risk. 



Even aquaculture, which now accounts for half of global seafood production, can harm coastal habitats and disrupt ecosystems when poorly managed.



While some fisheries and farms have adopted more sustainable practices, they haven’t kept pace with environmental pressures. Diversifying the seafood supply with alternative proteins is becoming increasingly important.



The New Blue Foods for Biodiversity <a href="https://gfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/New-blue-foods-for-biodiversity.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">whitepaper</a> outlines how plant-based and cultivated seafood can help ease the strain. By reducing overfishing and bycatch, these alternatives give wild stocks a chance to recover.



They also help prevent habitat damage and pollution, since they require less land and don’t disturb the ocean floor. And unlike many aquaculture systems, they minimize antibiotic use, supporting microbial diversity and slowing the spread of resistant pathogens.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-high-cost-of-tuna-popularity">The high cost of tuna popularity</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bluefin-tuna-a-sushi-delicacy-will-likely-be-extinct-within-50-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tuna</a> is a favorite across the globe, especially in the U.S. where canned tuna is second only to shrimp in popularity. 



Americans eat nearly one billion pounds a year. Worldwide, more than 7 million metric tons of tuna and similar species are harvested annually. That demand has consequences.



Seven out of 61 known tuna species were labeled as threatened in 2011. Tuna fishing also harms other marine animals, like turtles and sharks, that get caught in the same waters. 



Thankfully, innovation is catching up. Several companies are now creating tuna alternatives without fish.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alternative-seafood-companies">Alternative seafood companies</h2>



In Chicago, Aqua Cultured Foods raised $5.5 million to expand its production of fungi-based seafood. Using a special fermentation process, the company creates whole-muscle seafood cuts like scallops, shrimp, and tuna. 



Their products offer a sustainable and allergen-free option, and the new investment will help launch them in restaurants this year.



In Canada, Konscious Foods received a $5 million investment through the PacifiCan Business Scale-up and Productivity program. This support will help the company increase production, grow exports, and create over 40 new jobs in British Columbia. 



The company makes frozen sushi meals - including tuna avocado rolls - using Canadian-grown ingredients like quinoa, carrots, and tomatoes. They’re also working on new items, such as plant-based smoked salmon, crab cakes, and shrimp.



In Austria, Berlin-based BettaF!sh partnered with supermarket chain BILLA AG to launch the TU-NAH sandwich, now available across BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores. 



This collaboration reflects a shared focus on sustainability and aims to bring plant-based seafood to more consumers across Europe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alternative-seafood-as-a-global-opportunity">Alternative seafood as a global opportunity</h2>



A New York Times article once suggested that if you can't find anything good from the sea, it might be better to cook something else. Thanks to alternative seafood, that “something else” no longer means compromising on flavor or nutrition.



By scaling plant-based and cultivated seafood, it’s possible to feed a growing population without pushing marine ecosystems to the brink. As the researchers emphasize: “Building a better food system will require a diversity of solutions.”



“Alternative seafood is the future of sustainable seafood. To scale this industry, we need bold innovators and committed champions - across climate, biodiversity, public health, and food security - who are ready to make it a global priority. An ocean of opportunity awaits.”



Thanks to the <a href="https://gfi.org/">The Good Food Institute</a> for providing the background research for this article.



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There are not "plenty of fish" in Earth's oceans to feed 10 billion people, something must change

Alternative seafood is emerging as a vital solution in the...

Trees begin their day by opening tiny pores under their leaves called stomata. These pores allow them to absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air - a key ingredient for photosynthesis.



But there's a tradeoff. As they "breathe" in CO₂, trees also lose water. A single tree can lose several hundred liters of water per day this way.



To protect themselves, plants close these pores when water becomes scarce. This behavior isn't new to scientists. But what has remained a mystery - until now - is when exactly this happens and what drives the decision to shut down.



Researchers in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Basel</a> have discovered a surprising answer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-not-all-about-photosynthesis">It's not all about photosynthesis</h2>



At first glance, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-finally-decoded-the-process-of-photosynthesis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photosynthesis</a> seems to be the priority. That’s long been the belief. After all, plants need sunlight and CO₂ to make food. But the team from the University of Basel, using data from their forest lab in Hölstein, found that trees don’t always follow this rule.



“When it comes to plants, researchers have traditionally focused on photosynthesis. So it was previously assumed that trees treated this process as a priority and therefore kept the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-breathe-drought-resistant-crops/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stomata</a> open for as long as possible to absorb CO2, only closing them when there was no other option,” explained study co-author Professor Ansgar Kahmen.



This thinking makes sense. The act of absorbing CO₂ is tied to water loss through the stomata. So it seemed reasonable that plants would risk losing water to keep photosynthesis going, only shutting down when things got extreme. But the new research says otherwise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trees-grow-at-night-but-only-with-water">Trees grow at night - but only with water</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/its-the-timing-of-water-that-matters-to-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Water</a> doesn't just help with photosynthesis - it keeps the tree alive and growing. During the day, trees lose water through evaporation. At night, they work to replenish what was lost. The stomata stay closed, and water flows upward from the roots to refill the cells.



This refill process creates pressure in the cells, known as turgor pressure. Without it, trees can't grow. That’s why most tree growth happens at night.



If the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-energy-do-plants-use-to-lift-water-from-the-soil/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soil</a> is dry, though, trees can’t draw in enough water. Their cells stay under-filled. Without that pressure, they can’t expand or grow - even if they have all the sugars they need from photosynthesis.



And it gets worse. As drought intensifies, the water pathways inside the tree can break down. This collapse can create air bubbles - called embolisms - that block water movement.



“When this happens, irreparable damage occurs, the water transport system collapses and the plant eventually dies,” explained Kahmen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-water-refills-stop">When water refills stop</h2>



The big surprise from the team was that trees are much more cautious than expected. They don’t wait for a crisis to close their stomata. If they can’t get enough water during the night, they simply don’t open the stomata the next morning.



“For the first time, we were able to show that a tree does not even open its stomata in the morning if it cannot absorb enough water overnight,” said Kahmen.



In other words, they skip photosynthesis to protect their ability to grow. This may sound counterintuitive, but it’s a smart survival strategy. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-future-climate-conditions-will-transform-plant-growth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Growth</a> is what allows a tree to build new tissue, repair damage, and keep going. If it can’t grow, making more sugars doesn’t help.



“So the aim is not to optimize photosynthesis and maintain it for as long as possible, but to use the products of photosynthesis as efficiently as possible for growth,” said the plant physiologist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicting-forest-carbon-capture">Predicting forest carbon capture </h2>



The new findings could have a major impact on how we predict <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-forests-are-unexpected-heroes-of-carbon-capture/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forest carbon capture</a>. Trees take in less carbon than expected during dry periods. That’s because their stomata close earlier and stay shut for longer than previously thought.



Study lead author Richard L. Peters is a former postdoc at the University of Basel and now professor at the Technical University of Munich.



“Climate models that assume a certain growth in carbon storage volume would therefore have to be adapted,” said Peters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tree-decisions-shape-their-growth">Tree decisions shape their growth</h2>



The findings are especially relevant as summers become hotter and drier in many places, including Switzerland. If trees shut down photosynthesis earlier, forests might store less carbon than climate models currently assume.



“What is remarkable is that our early stomatal closure observations apply to all tree species, whether deciduous or coniferous. How well a tree species will cope with drought, therefore, cannot be solely determined by the process of stomata closure,” noted Peters.



Trees might seem passive, but they’re making active decisions every day. And thanks to new research, we’re finally starting to understand how those decisions shape their growth - and our planet.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://zenodo.org/records/14852038" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Plants</a>.



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How trees decide between growing and breathing

Trees begin their day by opening tiny pores under their...

An international team of scientists drilled 500 meters through West Antarctica’s Kamb Ice Stream and uncovered a vast, slow-moving channel of water flowing beneath the ice. 



This newly observed subglacial river, which surges roughly once a decade, challenges long-standing assumptions about how meltwater drains beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. 



The discovery offers critical insight into Antarctic hydrology and may significantly refine projections of future sea-level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-two-week-trek-into-the-interior">A two-week trek into the interior</h2>



In late 2021, scientists with <a href="https://www.antarcticscienceplatform.org.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Zealand’s Antarctic Science Platform</a> left Scott Base and travelled 1,200 kilometers inland by tracked vehicles. 



Their goal was a site where the Kamb Ice Stream - 350 kilometers long and 100 kilometers wide - slides beneath the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-force-moves-ross-ice-shelf-antarctica-every-day/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ross Ice Shelf</a>. There, in constant daylight and temperatures near –10 °C, engineers set up a temporary camp with an airstrip and weatherproof labs.



Using 80°C water pumped at high pressure, they melted a 30-centimeter-wide borehole through the<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-past-present-and-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> ice sheet</a> to the bedrock below. Cameras and sensors followed the drill head into the cavity, capturing real-time images and data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-river-revealed-in-antarctica">Hidden river revealed in Antarctica </h2>



Expedition leader Huw Horgan conducts is an expert at <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a> and at the <a href="https://www.wsl.ch/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research</a>.



“We struck water at the end of the borehole and with the help of our camera, we even discovered a school of lobster-like creatures - 400 kilometers from the open ocean,” said Horgan.



Echo-soundings showed the channel to be roughly 100 meters high and 200 meters wide - large enough to admit a city block. Instruments registered temperature, salinity, and sediment load, revealing a mixture dominated by seawater that had crept inland beneath the shelf.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trickling-rivers-beneath-the-ice">Trickling rivers beneath the ice</h2>



Only a trickle of freshwater - less than one cubic meter per second - travels seaward under the glacier. 



“This amount of water is much smaller than what the existing models had predicted,” Horgan said. Because previous simulations assumed greater discharge, many estimates of basal lubrication and melt will need to be recalculated.



The sluggish current does not equate to a stable system, however. Layered sediments removed from the cavity floor preserve signs of sudden, far larger floods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lakes-release-sudden-surges">Lakes release sudden surges</h2>



“We suspect that the water comes from subglacial lakes upstream. These lakes fill and empty in certain cycles. When they empty, a flood of water rushes towards the sea,” Horgan explained.



Core samples indicate these large flushes occur about once every ten years, with smaller bursts likely escaping detection. Such pulses can scour channels, deliver nutrients to under-ice ecosystems, and momentarily elevate melting where fresh and marine waters meet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-shape-ice-shelfs">Rivers shape ice shelfs</h2>



“Subglacial watercourses play a central role in the melting of the ice shelf,” Horgan said. 



The Ross Ice Shelf acts as a massive buttress, slowing the glaciers that feed it; any process that thins this floating barrier can accelerate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emergency-meeting-reveals-the-alarming-extent-of-antarcticas-ice-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice loss</a> from the Antarctic interior.



“Our findings are therefore a prerequisite for developing new models that describe the melting of the ice shelf and predict <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-sea-levels-spiked-dramatically-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea-level rise</a> even more accurately.” 



Incorporating both the steady marine inflow and the episodic lake-drainage floods will improve projections used by coastal planners worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planning-for-future-surges">Planning for future surges</h2>



The team intends to return during the 2025–26 austral summer to install long-term instruments that will log pressure, flow speed, and chemistry through multiple flood cycles. 



By comparing those records with satellite altimetry and radar, researchers aim to learn how a warming climate might amplify the frequency or magnitude of these hidden surges.



Studying life in the dark cavity is also on the agenda, prompted by the unexpected sighting of crustacean-like animals far from open water. The biology could reveal how nutrients move from buried rivers to under-ice ecosystems across Antarctica.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-drive-ice-dynamics">Rivers drive ice dynamics</h2>



Hot-water drilling through the Kamb Ice Stream has opened a direct window onto processes that were previously inferred only from remote sensing and theoretical models. 



Each new measurement tightens the link between unseen hydrology and the fate of the planet’s largest ice shelf, edging science closer to reliable forecasts of sea-level rise in a warming world.



With more expeditions planned and permanent instruments on the horizon, the buried <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-rivers-beneath-antarctic-ice-reshape-sea-level-predictions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rivers</a> of Antarctica are finally beginning to surrender their secrets.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01687-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Geoscience</a>.



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Hidden rivers accelerate the melting of Antarctica’s ice sheets

An international team of scientists drilled 500 meters through West...

Underwater,Sea,Level,Split,Photo,Of,Beautiful,Paradise,Turquoise,Exotic

It’s a chilling thought - what would happen if every living thing in the ocean vanished? From microscopic plankton to blue whales, ocean life plays a huge role in how our planet stays in balance. 



A new study takes this thought experiment seriously and finds surprising insights into how the death of marine life can affect carbon absorption.



The scientists behind this research are from <a href="https://www.norceresearch.no/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NORCE</a> and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research in Norway. Using the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM), they created detailed simulations to explore how the planet’s climate would respond without ocean life. 



Their goal was to figure out how much we depend on living organisms in the sea to manage carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ocean-s-role-in-carbon-storage">The ocean’s role in carbon storage</h2>



The ocean isn't just a body of water - it’s a carbon sponge. It soaks up about 25% of the carbon dioxide that humans release into the atmosphere each year. A big part of this carbon storage is thanks to life in the ocean. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plankton-tiny-ocean-creatures-overlooked-critical-life-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tiny plankton</a> consume carbon near the surface. When they die, they sink, carrying that carbon to the deep ocean. This process is known as the biological carbon pump. But what happens when you remove life from the equation?



In the study, researchers ran two versions of their simulation: one with marine life, and one without. When they took marine life out of the picture, they found that atmospheric CO2 levels jumped by about 50%.



“But the simulation showed that in a scenario where all marine life is eradicated, land ecosystems will absorb about half of the carbon that the ocean cannot take up without <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-impacting-marine-life-more-than-we-realized/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine life</a>,” said study co-author Damien Couespel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-link-between-ocean-life-and-carbon">Link between ocean life and carbon</h2>



The researchers say this study reveals a missing piece in how we understand the climate system. For years, the focus has been on how the ocean's chemistry and temperature affect carbon absorption. But this study suggests that biology plays a much bigger role than previously recognized.



“We have long understood that the biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unexpected-carbon-pump-found-in-the-arctic-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon pump</a> plays a crucial role in keeping atmospheric CO2 levels low. However, most studies have overlooked the interaction with Earth's ecosystems. Our research suggests that land ecosystems compensate if marine life is eradicated and the ocean's ability to absorb CO2 is thus limited,” said Jerry Tjiputra, lead author of the study.



The team didn’t stop there. They also simulated the Earth’s climate in two time periods: before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels (pre-1850) and in a high-emission future. Again, they ran the model with and without marine life.



“In all cases, much more CO2 will remain in the atmosphere if all marine life were removed. This is because, without living organisms consuming carbon at the ocean surface, the carbon content at the ocean surface is much higher. This limits the ocean's ability to absorb more CO2,” explained Tjiputra.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-how-the-ocean-works">Rethinking how the ocean works</h2>



The results challenge some long-standing ideas. "Our results thus challenge the paradigm that the ocean's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/methane-emissions-offset-carbon-uptake-by-macroalgae/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon uptake</a> is mainly driven by physical and chemical processes, rather than biological ones. An ocean without life would weaken its ability to absorb carbon emissions,” said Couespel.



If marine life disappeared, the world would likely warm faster. The ocean would lose its buffering capacity, and we might trigger even more feedbacks that drive temperatures higher.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-life-and-climate-change">Ocean life and climate change</h2>



No one expects the ocean to suddenly become lifeless. But this “what-if” exercise offers important lessons. The researchers believe it shows how marine and land ecosystems work together to manage our climate.



“We have learned that marine and terrestrial life work together to regulate our climate and that marine life is a key player in shaping the course of climate change. Our research clearly underscores that there is a link between the protection of marine ecosystems and combating climate change," said Tjiputra.



"A healthy ocean buys us time. Damage to marine ecosystems can significantly accelerate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indisputable-evidence-of-human-caused-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">human-caused climate change</a> and further challenge our ability to meet the goals in the Paris Agreement. Preserving the function of marine ecosystems is essential for mitigating climate change and its associated risks."



This simple yet startling study reminds us that life in the ocean isn’t just there for beauty or biodiversity - it’s helping stabilize the planet. And protecting it may be one of our best tools in the fight against climate change.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57371-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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What would happen if all ocean life disappeared? Scientists found out, and it's not good

It’s a chilling thought - what would happen if every...

Capturing and storing carbon dioxide is essential to slow global warming, but current methods are costly and so energy-hungry they often rely on fossil fuels themselves. Now, a research team has devised a new carbon capture technique that harnesses an abundant, clean, and free energy source: sunlight.



In a recent study by <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell University</a>, researchers describe how they mimicked the carbon-fixing mechanism used by plants to develop the first light-powered system that can both capture and release carbon dioxide.



The method promises to lower costs and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cutting-emissions-could-save-250000-lives-a-year-in-europe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a> associated with carbon capture, offering a sustainable alternative to existing technologies by harnessing sunlight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-different-approach-to-carbon-capture">A different approach to carbon capture</h2>



Carbon dioxide is notoriously difficult to trap because of its chemical stability. Most carbon capture <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/capturing-carbon-directly-from-the-air-is-now-much-more-efficient-thanks-to-new-material/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">efforts</a> rely on amines - organic compounds derived from ammonia - that selectively bind CO₂. 



However, these compounds degrade in the presence of oxygen and require constant replacement, leading to high energy costs for their production.



“From the beginning, our lab has tried to think about how we can use our intuition as chemists to find alternative pathways to carbon dioxide capture,” said senior author Phillip Milner, an associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. “We basically have a motto of ‘anything but amines.’”



The new method relies on a stable enol molecule that becomes reactive enough under <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dirty-sky-less-sunlight-how-pollution-steals-our-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sunlight</a> to “grab” carbon dioxide. Once captured, a shift in pH triggers the release of the CO₂ through a process known as decarboxylation.



Importantly, the entire system operates without the need for cooling between capture and release - one of the major energy bottlenecks in existing methods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-capture-inspired-by-photosynthesis">Carbon capture inspired by photosynthesis</h2>



The reaction mechanism is inspired by the enzyme RuBisCo, which plants use to fix carbon during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-foundation-of-life-is-at-risk-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photosynthesis</a>. Graduate student Bayu Ahmad, who is the first author of the study, developed the concept of using sunlight to drive both carbon capture and release.



“From a chemistry standpoint, this is totally different from what anybody else is doing in carbon capture,” Milner said. “The whole mechanism was Bayu’s idea, and when he originally showed it to me, I thought it would never work. It totally works.”



The team employed 2-methylbenzophenone, a low-cost sorbent, to anchor the process. Testing revealed that the new sunlight method’s carbon capture rate matched or outperformed other light-driven technologies, while avoiding common pitfalls like the need for extensive cooling infrastructure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-real-world-testing-with-flue-gas"><a></a>Real-world testing with flue gas</h2>



Lab successes often falter when faced with real-world samples full of impurities. To address this, the researchers tested their system using flue gas from Cornell’s Combined Heat and Power Building, which burns natural gas to supply campus energy. The method successfully isolated carbon dioxide from these complex samples.



“Getting real flue gas from industry is really difficult, because companies don’t want people to know what’s coming out of their power plants,” Milner said.



“But Cornell is not a company - so this is something unique that we can offer and that we hope will be operational in the next year.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-lab-bench-to-solar-fields"><a></a>From lab bench to solar fields</h2>



Looking ahead, the team envisions scaling the technology into installations resembling solar panels. But instead of generating electricity, these panels would extract CO₂ directly from the air, producing pure, high-pressure carbon dioxide that could be stored or converted on-site.



“We’d really like to get to the point where we can remove carbon dioxide from air, because I think that’s the most practical,” Milner said.



“You can imagine going into the desert, you put up these panels that are sucking carbon dioxide out of the air and turning it into pure high-pressure carbon dioxide. We could then put it in a pipeline or convert it into something on-site.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broadening-the-impact-light-driven-separations"><a></a>Broadening the impact: Light-driven separations</h2>



The benefits of this innovation extend beyond carbon dioxide. Milner’s lab is also investigating how sunlight-powered separations could be applied to other industrial gases.



“There’s a lot of opportunity to reduce energy consumption by using light to drive these separations instead of electricity,” Milner said.



This is crucial because separation processes account for about 15% of global energy consumption. Light-powered alternatives could significantly cut those figures, aligning with global sustainability goals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-open-source-flue-gas-facility"><a></a>An open-source flue gas facility</h2>



In a further effort to support carbon capture research, Milner is part of a project to make flue gas from Cornell’s power plant available to other scientists and startups. This initiative, funded by the <a href="https://www.atkinson.cornell.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability</a>, aims to create a unique testing ground for real-world carbon capture technologies.



By combining plant-inspired chemistry with the clean energy of sunlight, Milner and his team have opened a promising new path toward cost-effective, scalable carbon capture. 



The new approach not only addresses the energy pitfalls of current systems but also offers a blueprint for sustainable industrial separations, moving closer to practical solutions in the fight against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-earth-energy-imbalance-temperature-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/chem/abstract/S2451-9294(25)00173-1?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2451929425001731%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chem</a>.



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Experts use sunlight to capture carbon

Capturing and storing carbon dioxide is essential to slow global...

Despite growing global efforts to curb emissions, methane pollution from the fossil fuel industry remained alarmingly close to historic highs in 2024. 



This surge happened alongside record levels of oil, gas, and coal production, according to new findings.



The analysis, released by scientists from the <a href="https://www.iea.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Energy Agency</a> (IEA), highlights how tackling methane - an invisible but highly potent greenhouse gas - remains one of the simplest and fastest ways to cool the planet. Yet, progress is stalling.



The report warns that many countries are underreporting methane leaks, particularly from energy infrastructure like pipelines, drilling equipment, and abandoned sites.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-methane-deserves-more-attention">Why methane deserves more attention</h2>



Methane is second only to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-carbon-dioxide-travels-in-the-atmosphere/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon dioxide</a> when it comes to its contribution to climate change. But unlike CO₂, methane doesn’t linger in the atmosphere for centuries. It breaks down in about a decade, meaning slashing its emissions could deliver quick climate relief.



Still, governments are failing to keep up with their promises. The IEA estimates actual methane emissions from the energy sector are about 80% higher than what countries report to the United Nations. That’s a massive gap.



The energy sector alone is responsible for roughly a third of all human-driven methane emissions. These leaks often go unnoticed - or unreported. They can occur during maintenance or result from faulty infrastructure. In many cases, stopping them is surprisingly simple and affordable.



"However, the latest data indicates that implementation on methane has continued to fall short of ambitions," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-methane-emissions-by-country">Methane emissions by country</h2>



In 2024, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-fuel-pollution-is-causing-disease-disaster-and-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fossil fuel</a> sector released over 120 million tons of methane - nearly as much as the record year of 2019.



China topped the list, mostly due to its coal industry. The United States came in second, driven by its oil and gas operations, with Russia not far behind.



But methane isn’t just leaking from currently operating fields. The IEA’s new analysis highlights that old, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/abandoned-oil-wells-could-revolutionize-energy-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">abandoned oil wells</a> and coal mines are major culprits too. 



If counted as a country, these forgotten sources would rank as the fourth-largest emitter of methane, responsible for eight million tons last year alone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-watching-leaks-from-orbit">Watching leaks from orbit</h2>



One reason the IEA can now paint a clearer picture of methane pollution is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-space-age-satellites-can-track-canopies-and-carbon-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">satellite technology</a>. More than 25 satellites are now scanning the globe for methane plumes. They can detect leaks as they happen, even in remote regions.



One satellite, Europe’s Sentinel 5, only detects the largest emissions. But what it sees is worrying. 



“Super-emitting methane events” reached a new record in 2024. These giant leaks were reported in several regions, particularly the United States, Turkmenistan, and Russia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-pledges-little-progress">Big pledges, little progress</h2>



About 40% of methane comes from natural sources like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-seas-release-more-methane-from-wetlands-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wetlands</a>. But the rest - mainly from agriculture and energy - can be controlled. And scientists agree: methane from fossil fuels is the easiest to fix.



More than 150 countries have pledged to reduce their methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Many oil and gas companies have set 2050 targets. But so far, real-world progress has been underwhelming.



The IEA says that cutting methane from fossil fuels could prevent about 0.1°C of global warming by 2050.



"This would have a tremendous impact - comparable to eliminating all CO₂ emissions from the world's heavy industry in one stroke," the report said.



In fact, existing technology could cut 70% of energy-sector methane emissions. Yet, only 5% of current global oil and gas production meets near-zero methane standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-methane-leaks-from-coal-mines">Methane leaks from coal mines</h2>



One key area still being overlooked is methane from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/u-s-coal-ash-holds-tons-of-rare-earth-elements-worth-8-4-billion/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coal</a>. Energy think tank Ember says that to stay on track for net-zero goals, methane emissions from fossil fuels need to drop by 75% by 2030.



Ember analyst Sabina Assan added that coal’s contribution is “still being ignored.”



"There are cost-effective technologies available today, so this is a low-hanging fruit of tackling methane. We can't let coal mines off the hook any longer," she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-to-tackle-methane">Time to tackle methane</h2>



The tools and knowledge to tackle methane pollution are already in our hands. What’s missing is action. 



As countries and companies race to limit climate damage, cutting methane is a no-brainer. But unless governments and industries take this seriously - and soon - the window to avoid the worst impacts of warming will continue to close.



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Methane leaks surge amid record fossil fuel production

Despite growing global efforts to curb emissions, methane pollution from...

Floating photovoltaics (FPV), or “floatovoltaics,” are spreading across water bodies worldwide. From California’s vineyards to China’s massive energy projects, these solar systems glide atop irrigation ponds, reservoirs, and wastewater treatment plants. 



They produce clean energy without consuming precious land, a seemingly perfect solution in a space-constrained world.



But the water beneath these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floating-solar-panels-could-power-entire-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">panels</a> isn’t empty. It teems with life. Birds drift, dive, nest, and hunt in these waters. As FPV systems expand, they introduce a new dynamic to these habitats - and nobody knows yet what the consequences might be.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-floating-solar-and-bird-habitats">Floating solar and bird habitats</h2>



A recent study from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Davis</a>, published in the journal Nature Water, raises a vital question: Can renewable energy and wildlife coexist without collateral damage? The researchers, part of the UC Davis Wild Energy Center, are among the first to examine how waterbirds respond to FPV systems.



“That’s why it’s so important to understand how waterbirds are going to respond to floating solar and if there is the possibility for conservation concessions at new floating solar facilities,” said Elliott Steele, a postdoctoral scholar with the UC Davis Wild Energy Center within the Energy and Efficiency Institute.



Steele’s words are urgent. Bird populations are plummeting. Habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and avian influenza have combined into a perfect storm of threats. If floating solar disrupts waterbird behavior, it could exacerbate an already dire situation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bird-responses-to-floating-solar-systems">Bird responses to floating solar systems</h2>



Imagine a black-crowned night heron standing motionless on a solar <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floating-solar-panels-could-power-every-home-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">panel</a> before dawn. Below, cormorants dart through the water, jostling for a place to perch. A black phoebe builds a nest beneath the panels, sheltered but close to human-made structures.



These are not imagined scenes. During their fieldwork, the UC Davis researchers observed all these behaviors. Birds are not just interacting with FPV systems — they are adapting to them, sometimes in unexpected ways.



“Our team has been documenting such a diversity of bird <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floridas-waterbirds-expert-divers-with-bold-hunting-techniques/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behavior</a> with floating PV, so we immediately knew this was a very important interaction, especially given the precipitous decline in waterbird numbers globally,” said senior author and UC Davis Professor Rebecca R. Hernandez.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-and-risks-of-floating-solar">Benefits and risks of floating solar</h2>



Renewable energy projects have not always considered <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-americas-birds-scientists-declare-a-full-on-emergency-in-the-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a>. Now, as FPV systems expand, researchers are determined not to repeat past mistakes. The UC Davis team identified five areas demanding urgent study.



First, the researchers are exploring how waterbirds interact with FPV structures, questioning whether these birds use the solar panels as nesting sites, hunting perches, or safe resting places.



In addition, they are investigating the direct and indirect effects of FPV systems on waterbirds. While a panel may provide shelter to one species, it may simultaneously deter another.



The team is considering how conservation strategies can be tailored to specific sites, regions, and seasons, recognizing that bird populations vary significantly in their behaviors and needs.



Furthermore, they are examining how best to design monitoring systems at FPV sites. Should they rely on cameras, sensors, or traditional bird counts to collect data effectively?



The researchers are also assessing the potential for pollutants to be released from FPV systems. If such contamination occurs, they aim to determine what can be done to mitigate the risks to aquatic and avian life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-renewable-energy-design">Rethinking renewable energy design</h2>



Study co-author Emma Forester is a Ph.D. candidate with the UC Davis Land, Air and Water Resources department and the Wild Energy Center.



“There are some things we wished we’d known before other kinds of renewable energy were developed,” said Forester.



“While we’re at this critical threshold of renewable energy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-panels-are-1000-times-more-powerful-with-new-tech-breakthrough/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">development</a>, we want to put more thought into the design that can benefit birds and other wildlife as we go forward.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-balancing-act-energy-vs-ecology">The balancing act: Energy vs. ecology</h2>



Floating solar systems present a compelling case for water conservation. They can reduce evaporation by shading the water surface, an added benefit in drought-prone areas. But there’s a catch.



While some birds, like the black-crowned night heron, seem to thrive on the panels, others might not. Researchers observed birds using FPV systems in various ways - nesting, perching, feeding - but the long-term impacts remain unclear.



And then there’s pollution. Solar panels are not inert objects. As they age, they can degrade, releasing chemicals into the water. What happens to the fish, algae or the birds? These questions linger, unanswered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-designing-for-wildlife">Designing for wildlife</h2>



To ensure that FPV systems are truly green, wildlife considerations must be integrated from the start. 



Hernandez and her team emphasize that waterbirds are ideal subjects for these studies. They occupy both the water and the air, making them sensitive indicators of environmental change.



But there’s a deeper challenge. Conservation strategies that work in California may fail in Florida. Solutions for herons may not suit cormorants. Customization is key.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-at-stake">What’s at stake</h2>



Floating solar may be new, but the questions it raises are not. When energy projects collide with nature, unintended consequences often follow. As renewable energy scales up, researchers must consider not just the panels but the ecosystems they disrupt.



Floating solar has enormous potential. But without rigorous, long-term studies, that potential could come at a steep ecological cost. For now, the researchers at UC Davis are watching the waterbirds - and hoping the world will pay attention.



The study, funded by the <a href="https://uckeepresearching.org/california-climate-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">California Climate Action Seed Grant</a>, <a href="https://www.enelgreenpower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enel Green Power</a>, and several U.S. government agencies, is a starting point. 



The research team includes scientists from UC Davis, the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Geological Survey</a>, the <a href="https://www.ucf.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Central Florida</a>, <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lancaster University</a>, and <a href="https://www.enelgreenpower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enel Green Power</a> in Italy.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00429-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Water.</a>



Image Credit: Rebecca R. Hernandez, UC Davis.



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Floating solar panels affect bird habitats in unexpected ways

Floating photovoltaics (FPV), or “floatovoltaics,” are spreading across water bodies...

Diseño sin título - 1

An enormous iceberg the size of Chicago recently split away from the <a href="https://www.antarcticglaciers.org/glacial-geology/antarctic-ice-sheet/alexander-island/george-vi-ice-shelf/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">George VI Ice Shelf</a>. In the midst of that dramatic break, a research team in Antarctica witnessed a surprising encounter with an elusive creature.



Expedition co-chief scientist, <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/person/patricia-esquete/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Patricia Esquete</a> of the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (<a href="https://www.cesam-la.pt/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CESAM</a>) and the Department of Biology (DBio) at the <a href="https://www.ua.pt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Aveiro</a>, Portugal, was part of the <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">group</a> that explored this newly opened section of ocean. 



Researchers found an impressive web of corals, sponges, icefish, and enormous sea spiders thriving beneath the floating ice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-iceberg-breaks-off">An iceberg breaks off</h2>



When <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/153968/new-antarctic-iceberg-speeds-off" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iceberg A-84</a> separated from the Antarctic Peninsula in January 2025, it revealed an untouched seafloor. This hidden environment had been concealed under ice hundreds of feet thick for many decades.



Most scientists expected sparse life in those cold depths. Instead, the remotely operated vehicle <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/rov-subastian-status/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(ROV) SuBastian</a> captured footage of vibrant communities at depths reaching down to 4,300 feet (1,300 meters).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-window-into-an-unknown-ecosystem">Window into an unknown ecosystem</h2>



Deep-sea ecosystems often rely on nutrients drifting down from above, yet this region remained sealed beneath thick <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-hole-polynya-the-size-of-switzerland-appeared-in-the-antarctica-sea-ice/">ice</a> for centuries. 



Ocean currents may transport crucial resources, allowing surprising biodiversity to flourish in complete darkness.



Scientists discovered corals, icefish, and unusual invertebrates. They also stumbled upon the giant phantom jelly, a massive predator that has seldom been observed by human eyes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-the-giant-phantom-jelly">Meet the giant phantom jelly</h2>



The giant phantom jellyfish (<a href="https://www.mbari.org/animal/giant-phantom-jelly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stygiomedusa gigantea</a>) can have a bell measuring more than three feet (1 meter) across, with four trailing arms that can reach over 33 feet (10 meters). 



Researchers first collected a specimen of this ghostly jelly in 1899 but only recognized it as a distinct species around 60 years later.



Its mauve body appears translucent. Instead of normal tentacles, those ribbon-like arms help capture prey and draw it toward the jelly’s central mouth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phantom-jelly-intelligence">Phantom jelly intelligence</h2>



Researchers noted behavior in the giant phantom jelly that suggested a level of control and coordination not typically seen in jellyfish. 



Its arm movements appeared deliberate, almost cautious, as it maneuvered through narrow gullies on the seafloor.



Though <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-invasion-jellyfish-are-moving-north-in-a-warming-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">jellyfish</a> lack a brain, some species use a nerve net to process environmental cues. 



The team believes that future analysis of this footage could provide rare insight into how deep-sea invertebrates without centralized nervous systems respond to complex terrain .



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-ecosystem-growth">Ancient ecosystem growth</h2>



One large sponge, that probably grew less than an inch a year, indicated that the ecosystem was old. 



Scientists believe many creatures here have been thriving for decades or more, forming stable communities in a dark, pressurized environment.



“We didn’t expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem. Based on the size of the animals, the communities we observed have been there for decades, maybe even hundreds of years,” said Dr. Esquete.



Persistent water flow below the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-icebergs-are-not-the-main-threat-to-antarcticas-stability/">ice</a> shelf may bring nutrients from open water. Some species showed adaptations that suggested minimal dependence on direct sunlight.



Small anemones, brittle stars, and hydroids were spotted clinging to rocks. The combination of seafloor features and ocean patterns likely fuels these bustling ecological pockets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-changing-world">A changing world</h2>



Antarctica’s ice sheets have been losing mass for decades due to climate change. Many glaciers and shelves are thinning, and large icebergs are calving more often.



“The ice loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet is a major contributor to sea level rise worldwide,” said expedition co-chief scientist, <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/person/sasha-montelli/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sasha Montelli</a> of University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>). Scientists on this mission aim to gather data that can improve projections for future changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clues-hidden-in-rock-samples">Clues hidden in rock samples</h2>



In addition to studying marine life, the team collected geological samples from the newly exposed seabed. 



Using push cores - narrow tubes pressed into sediment - they extracted layers of material that could reveal a timeline of past environmental changes.



These samples help reconstruct ice movements and sedimentation rates. As <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/person/eugenio-veloso/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eugenio Andrés Veloso</a> of the Chilean Geological Survey sorted through the material, he noted that certain layers may even hold microfossils that offer a record of ancient ocean conditions long before the ice shelf existed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-autonomous-underwater-helpers">Autonomous underwater helpers</h2>



In addition to ROV SuBastian, researchers deployed gliders to measure temperature, salinity, and biological activity. 



Preliminary analyses show that meltwater from George VI influences the ocean’s nutrient balance in this region.



Gathered measurements will help the international team piece together how currents move materials beneath the ice. 



They hope to understand why these habitats remain so productive despite the dark conditions and great depths.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-science">Implications for science</h2>



Exploring a section of newly-exposed seafloor offers a rare glimpse into what normally lies hidden. Observations of corals, sponges, and large predators challenge assumptions about what can endure under thick ice.



Researchers suspect they have spotted several undescribed organisms. Documenting these species may reshape ideas about Antarctic biodiversity and how life survives in such harsh conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-to-the-future">Looking to the future</h2>



With each shift in Antarctica’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-build-a-time-machine-by-drilling-an-ice-core-2-miles-deep-in-antarctica/">ice</a> coverage, new areas open for investigation. Data gathered here could guide future expeditions and highlight the importance of safeguarding fragile habitats.



Scientists anticipate ongoing research as samples return to labs around the world. 



By studying every layer - from ice shelf behavior to hidden ecosystems - experts aim to piece together Antarctica’s intricate environmental puzzle.



Credits: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Oceanographic Institute.



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Giant phantom jellyfish spotted swimming under a newly broken-off iceberg

An enormous iceberg the size of Chicago recently split away...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



Overall, 96 percent of Earth's water is saltwater, and nearly all of freshwater is found in ice and groundwater. These sources of water are linked as it passes through solid, liquid and gas phases.



In a warmer climate, the water cycle will be transformed. It will be easier for water to evaporate and form clouds, and storms will become more frequent and intense. Some regions will get too much water, while others will be left without enough water. In addition, soil moisture will be lost - which threatens food security.



Scientists are using satellite data from over the last 40 years to track changes that are happening in the water cycle. This will ultimately help us prepare for extreme events and better manage our water resources, according to ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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